The Sock Index
by macgyvershe
Summary: One shot. Someone has been in Sherlock's sock index...should we be worried?


**The Sock Index**

"John, have you been bothering my sock index?"

John looked up from his computer screen and gave Sherlock a quizzical look.

"Why would I do anything like that?" John asked incredulously?

"Will someone's been into my drawers," said Sherlock, "and the sock index has been disturbed."

"You mean someone has put it out of order?" John knew who ever had done it was in for a row with Sherlock.

"No someone has touched it. I know, John. I can tell."

"Well, of course, you can tell." John gave a wry smile. "Have you questioned Mrs. Hudson? Though I doubt anyone you know would venture to touch the infamous sock index."

Sherlock scrunched up his face.

"Are you being sarcastic about this, John?"

"Far be it from me to be even the tiniest bit sarcastic about the sock index," John returned to his computer a very comical smile on his lips.

"John this is of the utmost importance to me; to us. And I would think that you would be as concerned about this as I am. Someone has been here. Here in our flat."

"Sherlock, I don't think diabolical criminals would be interested in your sock index. I think that you are over reacting here."

"John, you have always been confident in my deductions before. I ask that you maintain that confidence now and help me find out who is behind this."

There was truth in Sherlock's words. He wasn't being childish or egotistical. He was concerned about this. John saved what he was working on and put his laptop on the coffee table.

"Okay, you've got my attention." John was in. He pulled out his notebook and took up a pen to take notes a Sherlock verbalized.

"I've looked at the flat carefully," John. "There are minor changes that would be imperceptible to your eyes. Things moved as if they were merely touched and not totally lifted. Dust disturbed, but not really moved even a tiny distance. This indicates to me that the individual that was here has been here before. They merely were reacquainting themselves with things. So who has visited us in the not too distant past, John?"

"Well, there was Irene Adler, Moriarty…though I don't think we have to worry about him. Aside from that just normal clients; and what does the touching of the sock index indicate to you?" John was totally intrigued.

"The intimacy of the sock index would indicate that it was personal; very personal. I do believe that Irene Adler has returned to tempt us with her very unique inclinations."

"But that's impossible, Sherlock. She's in an American witness protection program. I don't think she'd be traveling aboard under those circumstances."

"We both know that she is not in America, at all, John." Sherlock looked askance at John. "Mycroft believes, incorrectly, that she died in Karachi. "I know you were tempted to tell me the truth several times, John. I understand. You tried to protect me, from that information by going along with Mycroft's lie; but I was there when she was accosted, John. I saved her and gave her total anonymity; even from Mycroft's prying eyes and informational nose."

"I thought you…" John began, now fearing the lie was going to come back and bite him in the arse.

"I find her liaisons and insidious "bad behavior" not quite to my liking, but I don't feel that it warrants a death penalty."

"So why would she come back here, Sherlock? I'd think she'd stay far away from London?" John was thoroughly confounded.

"I can only surmise that she has something important to impart to us, but doesn't want to be misinterpreted. This is her way of getting our attention."

"How do we let her know that we've got her message," John asked?

"Everyone on the planet now reads your daily blog, John."

"The case of the Sock Index was one of information vital to Sherlock Holmes," John said as he pulled his laptop open and accessed his blog.

"That should be enough to get her to our front door." Sherlock said with great interest."

John thought about it. She wouldn't have come back to London for anything other than something of great importance to her and to Sherlock. What could that be? A woman of her intelligence and abilities would be able to handle most things.

The sock index was back to its untouched state, but now there was something new in the air. A new case to look forward to, Irene Adler was coming back into Sherlock and John's life. Sherlock felt a slight thrill of something that almost felt…was it anticipation?


End file.
